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A South Australian viticulturist has stolen the show at Australia’s biggest wine awards, taking home one of the night’s biggest honours and giving the Riverland plenty to celebrate.
Almost 20 years ago, people questioned why Ashley Ratcliff was pulling out Shiraz vines and replacing them with Mediterranean grape varieties they barely heard of. Today, the Ricca Terra founder has been named Viticulturist of the Year in the Halliday Wine Companion 2027.
With over 40 different grape varieties growing across Ricca Terra and a determination to prove the Riverland can produce premium wine, his gambles have earned him the prestigious national title.
“To get into the final seven was a big honour … and to win it was extremely humbling,” Ashley said.
“It’s great to be acknowledged, not just me, but our team for what we’re doing in the Riverland.”
Ashley established Ricca Terra has spent more than two decades challenging traditional ideas about what should be grown in the Riverland. Rather than relying solely on the varieties historically associated with Australian wine regions, Ricca Terra began planting grapes better suited to warm Mediterranean climates.
Ashley recalls people asking why he would remove established Shiraz vines to plant varieties such as Nero d’Avola. His answer was simple: there was only one way to find out whether they would work.
“The biggest risk is not taking future risks,” he said.
That philosophy has become central to Ricca Terra, which continues to experiment with varieties, farming practices and wine styles while focusing heavily on sustainability and improving the condition of its land for future generations. The award is also recognition of a region Ashley believes has long been underestimated. He saw the Riverland’s affordability and warm climate as an opportunity when he entered the industry.
“You can make super-premium wines out of the region, you just have to continue to focus on quality.”
That belief has guided Ricca Terra through difficult periods for the Australian wine industry, including the pressures facing Riverland growers in recent years. Rather than joining the chorus of negative conversation, Ashley says the business deliberately focuses on what it can do differently.
The team calls it a “yellow balloon moment”, if a room is filled with black balloons, the way to be noticed is to become the single yellow one. It is a philosophy centred on positivity, experimentation and finding opportunities.
“You won’t hear us grizzling about too many grapes or anything negative. It’s all about what we do, and what that does for the region, our staff and our family.”
Ricca Terra is now preparing to put the spotlight entirely on rosé with its upcoming Rosé Rodeo on November 13, an idea that grew partly from Ash’s memories of travelling through Puglia.
“Seeing grandpas sitting outside, drinking Rosé out of tumblers and it looked like such a calming experience.”
That relaxed scene ultimately helped inspire Ricca Terra’s own rosé, Colour of Calmness, with its pink and light-blue label designed around colours associated with calm. It is another example of the willingness to try something different that has defined Ricca Terra for more than two decades.
“We’re first generation in the wine business and it just shows anyone can do it, you’ve just got to believe in it.”
Learn more about the winners of the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards.
